South Shore Playground parking area to Burkett and Roadrunner Loop

Leg 1  Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett park    3.3 miles

Leg 2  Burkett park > Suzanne's Trail > Lanky Lackey > Nature Loop > Tasajilla Flats > Playground parking area    3.6 miles

Leg 3  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area   3.0 miles

Temps in the low 80's, steady wind, sunny, light humidity.

I wanted to hike Roadrunner Loop since I haven't been on it in awhile but couldn't stop there so I decided to do my "normal" hike in reverse order - glad I did!

I started Leg 1 around 0930 and saw lots of birds including the attached photo of a male Golden Fronted Woodpecker being shadowed by a Hummingbird.  Further on, I saw this season's first Goldfinch and the first verified Monarch butterfly. 

Trails were dry except in a few widely scattered low spots where they were slightly muddy.  Park personnel have mowed but the vegetation grows and grows! 

Two notes of interest - (1)  there are LOTS of ground bees on the top of Red Dam (part of the Red Dam Loop) and the vegetation is extremely thick so my advice is to avoid this trail until Winter and (2) the portion of Tasajilla Flats that had been impassable has been mowed BUT it is still very rough.  If you hike it, watch where you place your feet!

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available at Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett park.

Water and shade is available in the campgrounds along the North, West and South sides of Roadrunner Loop.